The radical notion that women like good movies
Phantom of the Opera Movie Poster (Source: Wikipedia.org) The Phantom of the Opera was my first musical; I saw it for the first time when I was 4 years old during its now legendary decade-long run in Toronto. I remember very little from that event (though the shaking chandelier during the Overture stayed with me), … Continue reading “‘Phantom of the Opera’: Great Music, Terrible Feminism”
Iron Jawed Angels Women’s Equality Day commemorates the passage of the 19th amendment, women’s suffrage, which the U.S. government ratified the 19th amendment on August 18, 1920 enabling women to vote. Too often, people say women were given the vote. Women weren’t given anything. They valiantly spoke out, organized, protested and fought for their rights. … Continue reading “Happy Women’s Equality Day! Celebrate Women’s Suffrage By Watching ‘Iron Jawed Angels’ and ‘Bad Romance’ Parody”
Wolverines! In Hollywood action flicks, hypermasculinity is a key tool for survival. The folks who have zombie-apocalypse bunkers and piles of military-grade weapons last longer – if they never cry. It’s reinforced in Red Dawn, the 1984 movie starring Patrick Swayze and directed by John Milius. Milius’s Red Dawn adoringly plays with the premise of … Continue reading “‘Red Dawn’: How Not Crying Will Defeat Communism”
Hey film lovers! It’s time for this week’s feminist film question. Who are your favorite amazing women in film and television? Here’s what you said: Sidney Prescott (Jennifer Garner) in Alias Lt. Ellen Ripley (Sigourney Weaver) in Alien, Aliens, Alien 3, Alien: Resurrection Margo Channing (Bette Davis) in All About Eve Gwen Stacy (Emma Stone) … Continue reading “Weekly Feminist Film Question: Who Are Your Favorite Amazing Female Characters in Film and TV?”
The director David Lynch likes playing with dichotomies. His director’s fetish is portraying opposite worlds that coexist. He carries us from happy-go-lucky settings to dark depths with embarrassingly sincere dialogue, awkward props and too-blunt-to-be-ignored sound design. When writing about Lynch one must incorporate phrases like “seedy underbelly” and “seemingly pleasant.” While a world of starkly … Continue reading “David Lynch’s "Good" Guy vs. Bad Guy in ‘Blue Velvet’”
The Problem with Female Representation in Science Fiction on Television by Paul and Renee The wonderful thing about science fiction is that the writers have the opportunity to create a world, which while based on ours, can be markedly different. This means that there should be a place for strong female characters who are not … Continue reading “Women in Science Fiction Week: The Roundup”
Princess Leia Organa (Carrie Fisher) in Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope When I was a young girl, Star Wars was my favorite movie. I’ve watched it more times than any other film. Premiering in 1977, the same year I was born, the epic sci-fi space opera irrevocably changed the movie industry. Beyond … Continue reading “Women in Science Fiction Week: Princess Leia: Feminist Icon or Sexist Trope?”
Sigourney Weaver as Ellen Ripley in Aliens This post written by staff writer Megan Kearns originally appeared at Bitch Flicks on October 28, 2011. When I was 10 years old, the scariest movie I ever saw was Aliens. I remember the first time I saw it like it was yesterday. Late one night, plagued … Continue reading “Women in Science Fiction Week: Ellen Ripley, a Feminist Film Icon, Battles Horrifying Aliens … and Patriarchy”
I have a confession to make. I’m a big softie when it comes to movies. I shed tears at the drop of a hat. But I usually don’t cry during a film trailer. But Beasts of the Southern Wild — both the trailer and the film itself — made me weep. A strange, haunting, breathtaking … Continue reading “‘Beasts of the Southern Wild’: Gender, Race and a Powerful Female Protagonist in the Most Buzzed About Film”
Sailor Moon characters Guest post written by Myrna Waldron. Cross-posted from Soapboxing Geek with permission. This has been a post I’ve been meaning to write for a long time. I’m an absolutely die-hard fan of Sailor Moon, and part of that is because it served as my childhood introduction to feminism. That might be a … Continue reading “Guest Writer Wednesday: The Feminism of Sailor Moon”
Here is a roundup of all the pieces we published during our LGBTQI Theme Week! Thanks so much to all the guest writers for making this such a successful and important week. (Please note that some of these excerpts contain spoilers.) The Birdcage: Where You Can Come as You Are by Candice Frederick That’s the … Continue reading “LGBTQI Week: The Roundup”
Warning: spoilers ahead!! “Who do you become if you can’t be yourself?” Pariah, my absolute favorite film of 2011, tackles that question. Written and directed by Dee Rees and produced by Nekisa Cooper, the powerful Pariah tells the story of Alike (Adepero Oduye in an astounding performance), a 17-year-old black lesbian in Brooklyn. Studious, artistic … Continue reading “LGBTQI Week: "I’m Not Running, I’m Choosing": ‘Pariah’ and Gender Performance”
